The city of Redding is actively engaging the public in discussions about public safety.

We began with a few surveys that touched on citizens’ opinions on how well we are doing with making people feel safe. The latest surveys were more guided in their approach to wanting the public to truly understand the capacity of our budget and our manpower.

I, along with my staff, have tried to respond to as many of the comments as possible, attempting to open up the lines of communication between the city and the people it serves.

Public safety is a concern for the city of Redding. It’s a concern for the people who live in the city, it’s a concern for people who visit or pass through the city, it’s a concern for people who work in the city, and it’s a concern for people who work for the city.

Reconciling community expectations with the city’s realistic ability to provide services for the people of Redding is a challenge. Unfortunately, the reality is that as a city government we can only spend what we have to spend. And, contrary to some beliefs, The City Council has been frugal with the city’s budget while balancing the need to provide valued services with a qualified workforce.

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Redding's city manager details some of his plans to avoid a looming budget deficit.
Sean Longoria

The city’s general fund (roughly $75 million) includes expenditures such as unfunded actuarial liability costs and debt service, as well as gas tax payments specifically allocated for roads and transportation costs. When these expenses are removed from the equation, roughly $60 million of discretionary money remains.

Costs associated with the Police and Fire departments total roughly $49 million per year; so therefore, 82 percent of the discretionary general fund budget is spent on public safety.

Other expenses include required departments such as Finance, Personnel, the City Clerk’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office. Basically, there is currently no money in the general fund left to make any additional substantive improvements to public safety. The money simply isn’t there.

The reality is that we can only fill positions if there is funding available. Our neighborhood policing units are currently funded by donations and we have other positions funded with grants. These positions will need to be eliminated by the end of next year if we do not receive additional funds (ie. grants, donations or other revenue).

As a city manager, I would like nothing more than to meet the community’s expectations, but today, I can’t. The time has come to look at the reality of the situation, be absolutely transparent about it, and to begin matching expectations with the limitations of the budget.

The recession, current budget restrictions and our tax base all play a role in our current staffing levels. When the recession hit in 2007-2009, we lost critical positions in our Police and Fire departments. Over the past 10 years or so, the budget has not allowed the city to replace the personnel we lost. Not just the Police and Fire departments, but all city departments are facing shortages that have never been replaced.

Our current tax base does not provide enough revenue to make up the difference to fully recover from the recession while increasing the level of service back to what it was.

Our next steps are simple, but very calculated. We have to get the most out of a limited budget, and we have to prioritize our public safety desires. It also means that we have to continue being creative, and/or find ways to enhance revenue.

That is why we are approaching the community and soliciting feedback. We are a government that wants to serve the people of Redding. We are listening to what you have to say, we want your input. If you are part of an organization that would like to have a face-to-face chat with me, then please call my office and set it up. I welcome your questions, we relish your ideas, and we encourage the dialogue that comes from the conversations.